Showdown at the Oak Corral (Japanese: オーキド邸だいけっせん！！Huge Battle at Okido Residence!!) is the fourth Weekly Pokémon Broadcasting Station side story episode and the eighth episode of Pokémon Chronicles. It first aired in Japan on January 14, 2003, in the United Kingdom on June 29, 2005 and in the United States on July 8, 2006.

Contents

Blurb

At Professor Oak's lab, Tracey and the Professor are busy with their daily work. So busy that they don't even notice when a Team Rocket helicopter lands on the property—Butch and Cassidy are here, and they plan to steal all the stored Pokémon from the lab! While Ash's mom Delia stops by to say hello to Professor Oak, Butch and Cassidy put on Pokémon disguises and make their way toward the lab. The local Pokémon take an interest in these new visitors, thinking they're real Pokémon, but an Oddish realizes the newcomers are just people in costumes.

Oddish alerts Bulbasaur, who decides to take action. It grabs Tracey and sends Noctowl to scout the area for signs of the intruders. By the time Tracey realizes what's going on, Butch and Cassidy have already looted the Poké Balls from the lab and left the building. Now they're back in their Pokémon disguises and headed for the helicopter, but they're slowed down by a lovestruck Nidoking and an affectionate Muk.

In the meantime, Noctowl has led Tracey to Team Rocket's hidden helicopter, and Totodile has told Professor Oak and Delia about the emergency. All the Pokémon are on the lookout for the thieves, too! Our heroes all surprise Butch and Cassidy before they can get away, but the villains won't give up. They send out Hitmontop and Houndour, so Professor Oak calls on Bulbasaur for help. And when Tracey's Scyther and Delia's Mr. Mime join in, it spells defeat for Butch and Cassidy, who end up being blasted into the sky. Now the Poké Balls are safe and peace has been restored!

Plot

Professor Oak and Tracey are so busy looking after Pokémon that they don't notice when a helicopter lands near the laboratory. In fact, Noctowl is the only one that does notice it.

Inside the lab, Professor Oak is writing a poem on his computer while Tracey mixes some Carbos Boosters into the Pokémon's lunch. Bayleef helps Tracey to deliver the food to all the Pokémon, which is well received. Tracey tells them that he is mixing a chocolate Protein Booster in with dessert, and Totodile dances happily.

Meanwhile, it is revealed that the helicopter that Noctowl saw earlier is Butch's and Cassidy's. After locating the lab, they discuss their plan: almost every Trainer who starts their journey in Pallet Town stores their extra Poké Balls there, so they are going to sneak in and steal them all. As Tracey and Professor Oak are the only people around, it shouldn't be very hard.

As Tracey arrives back at the lab, he hears the doorbell and goes to see who it is. It is the Magikarp salesman, who immediately tries to sell Tracey the Magikarp he has. He tells Tracey that the Magikarp which he has just caught lays golden eggs, making Tracey very suspicious. Professor Oak comes over to see what is going on, and becomes angry when he hears that the salesman is selling Pokémon. Tracey tells him that this is a Pokémon laboratory, and the salesman then makes a hasty exit. Professor Oak says that Pokémon should not be bought and sold. Tracey says they should report him to Officer Jenny, and then the doorbell rings again. Tracey, mistakenly believing that the Magikarp salesman has returned, says he will teach him a lesson, and starts harshly, only to realize his mistake when he sees that it is Delia and Mimey. Delia says she had bought some cookies, but maybe she should come back another time. Tracey says that then was a great time since you can never be too busy for cookies. Tracey invites them in, and Professor Oak welcomes them.

Elsewhere, Bulbasaur is enjoying a walk through the ranch. It smiles upon seeing a Jumpluff and Skiploom getting along. Bulbasaur then notices an odd-looking Golem and Nidoqueen. They are actually Butch and Cassidy in disguise. Cassidy thinks she looks ridiculous, but Butch thinks he makes a good Golem. Totodile also notices them, then dances and runs after them. It uses Water Gun on Cassidy and Butch. Butch kicks it away, but Totodile retaliates with a more powerful Water Gun. Butch reflects it, sending Totodile backwards.

Butch and Cassidy take a moment to dry themselves. An Oddish notices the half-human, half-Pokémon things, and runs off to tell Bulbasaur. However, by the time the two get there, Butch and Cassidy have already set off again. Cassidy stands on Cyndaquil, who was taking a nap, and it sends up a huge fire in defense. Butch uses a fire extinguisher on it, and the two leave, just as Bulbasaur and Oddish catch up to Cyndaquil.

Back at the lab, Delia asks Professor Oak if he has heard from Ash. Oak tells her that he has just reached Petalburg City. Delia comments that she loves Petalburg City, and that she hopes Ash captures a Zigzagoon. At this moment, Bulbasaur gets her attention by tapping on the window. Oak tells Delia that he is busy, so she tells Bulbasaur that he is unavailable. Bulbasaur then wakes up Noctowl, and Noctowl flies off to search.

Meanwhile, Tracey and Bayleef are feeding the new food to the Jumpluff. As Tracey comments on how everyone likes it, Bulbasaur appears and tries to get him to help. Tracey tells it that he can't play right now, but Bulbasaur insists. Rather than wait for Tracey to figure out that something is wrong, Bulbasaur makes its point by pulling Tracey with its vines.

Bulbasaur is right to rush, as Butch and Cassidy have now reached the lab, though not before being noticed by Noctowl. As Butch makes a hole in the window, he comments that Giovanni will be so pleased that they will get a major promotion. Cassidy reaches through the hole to open the window, and they enter the lab. They comment on how much better they are than "Messy" and "Lames", which they find so funny that they laugh manically. Remembering where they are, they shut up and start looking around.

Noctowl finds Tracey and the Pokémon, and gets them to follow it. Meanwhile, Professor Oak invites Delia to dinner, and she immediately offers to get Mimey to cook it. They are overheard by Butch and Cassidy, who then sneak over to the Poké Ball room. While they take them all, Tracey finds the hole they made in the window. He immediately rushes over to Professor Oak to tell him that someone has broken in. They search the lab until they reach the Poké Ball room, where they are shocked to see that all the Poké Balls are gone. Tracey says that whoever did this must be professionals. Professor Oak says that it must be Team Rocket's work, but Tracey doubts this as the Team Rocket he knows couldn't pull it off without messing something up.

The Pokémon begin to spread the word. Bayleef tells Heracross. Bulbasaur tells the Skiploom and Jumpluff, who tell the Oddish and Bellossom, who tell Kingler, who tells four of the Tauros, who stampede to wake up Snorlax. As all the Pokémon search, Butch and Cassidy make their escape in their costumes, with the Poké Balls inside a container shaped like a Muk. However, a Nidoking spots them and tries to hug Cassidy. When they manage to lose that, Muk turns up and covers the Poké Balls. Meanwhile, Noctowl locates the helicopter and rushes off to tell Tracey.

Muk has now covered both Cassidy and Butch, who can't get up. Then Totodile turns up and uses another Water Gun. It jumps aside from the reflector, and uses another one to knock Butch into a tree. They take this chance to run off, which makes Muk sad, but Totodile happily runs off in the opposite direction.

Bulbasaur uses its vines to uncover the sheet covering the helicopter while Totodile tells Delia and Professor Oak where Butch and Cassidy are. As all the Pokémon rush over to the spot, so do Butch and Cassidy. For a moment, they think they have made it, but then Tracey steps forward, barring the way. Professor Oak and Delia come in behind them, and tell them that they are completely surrounded. Tracey tells them to give up now, or they are in big trouble. Butch and Cassidy proceed to recite their motto.

Now Tracey gets it. This is the other Team Rocket he's heard of, which means he vaguely remembers them. After Butch gets annoyed at Tracey and Delia for calling him "Biff" and "Bill" respectively, Professor Oak tells them that they can't steal Pokémon, as Pokémon must be earned. Butch and Cassidy refuse and send out Hitmontop and Houndour. Bulbasaur steps forward to battle, and Oak recognizes Bulbasaur as one of his oldest companions. Tracey sends out Scyther, while Delia sends Mimey forward.

Houndour starts off with Ember, which Mimey reflects with Light Screen. Hitmontop then uses Rolling Kick, but it does nothing to the Light Screen. Next, Bulbasaur and Scyther attack Hitmontop with Vine Whip and Quick Attack. While they are busy, Cassidy orders Houndour to use Bite on Mimey, but Mimey hits back with Double Slap. Delia comments that battle skills run in the family. Butch orders Hitmontop to use Rapid Spin on Bulbasaur, but Bulbasaur reflects it with another Vine Whip. Hitmontop slams into Butch and Cassidy, and is then hit by Scyther's Cut attack. After complimenting Scyther, Oak orders Cyndaquil to use Flamethrower, which engulfs Butch, Cassidy, Hitmontop, and Houndour. Bulbasaur immediately comes in with a Solar Beam which causes an explosion. While Cassidy contemplates that things are not good, Oak comments that Pokémon are sometimes inspirational. Totodile wants to join in, so it uses its strongest Water Gun of the day, making Butch and Cassidy blast off.

All the Poké Balls are accounted for. Oak comments that while the lab doesn't have an advanced security system, the Pokémon are all the protection that they will ever need. The humans thank the Pokémon and the Pokémon cheer. Later, Oak reads his love poem. According to our narrator, Delia felt for sure that it was about her, but then, so did Bulbasaur.

The bottles of food that Tracey is using to feed the Pokémon have symbols of various Energies from the Trading Card Game. Tracey also comments that the foods contain the vitamins Carbos and Protein, which are found in the games.

When Bulbasaur knocks on the window to draw attention, the left vine (which Bulbasaur uses to lean on the window by, while knocking on upper part of the window with the other vine) changes position incorrectly when the scene changes to outside view (being under, instead of leaning diagonally). The window is bivalve containing eight glass parts on each side. It should've been leaning on the left part diagonally instead.

Dub edits

The running gag of Professor Oak trying to find a word that rhymes with Tauros in order to create a love poem for Delia exists only in the English dub, and Professor Oak does not even attempt to write a poem in the original Japanese version.

The dub has Butch refer to Jessie and James as "Messy and Lames", which were names used in the Mad Magazine parody of the anime in the late 1990s. This joke was also used in a later episode by a Chatot.

The narrator's line at the end of the episode is different in the Japanese version, where he just says that all of the Poké Balls have been returned, and the daily peace the Pokémon enjoyed before Butch and Cassidy's attack has returned to Pallet Town.

A somewhat lengthy scene was cut out in this episode. Between Cassidy saying "Shoo! Go! No! NO!" and her being thrown into the air was Nidoking advancing at Cassidy (who was disguised as a Nidoqueen at the time), and while she is attempting to climb up a tree to evade him, he gets too close and she kicks him repeatedly in the chest. Nidoking, after regaining his senses, becomes enraged, tackles her, beats her up, grabs her, and throws her. The dub has Nidoking chasing her and then cuts to her flying in the air.